


Dangerous Play

by scy



Category: Chak De! India (2007)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-01-01
Updated: 2010-01-01
Packaged: 2017-10-05 14:11:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/42573
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scy/pseuds/scy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bindia figures out what she wants</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dangerous Play

**Author's Note:**

> monimala listened to me go on about this fic, and gave excellent advice, as did svgurl and seperis.

Alone in the locker room, hair in her face, collar zipped up again, Bindia held onto her anger. She was by herself, and while it had been her choice at times, this isolation was the work of Kabir Khan, and Bindia was not going to forget or let it go.

All the other girls called Khan their coach and addressed him as if he'd earned their respect right from the start. Bindia conceded that he had proved he could keep order, but she'd had teachers who knew only that and hadn't learned much of anything from them either. They were all the same, men who thought their gender gave them the right to make all the decisions. Khan was one who promised a great deal, but didn't let go of control even a little bit.

Appointing Vidya to the position of team captain had been another example of Khan playing God. In front of all the entire team, he told Vidya that she was the best and Bindia that she didn't have what it took. Even when she demanded an explanation, he refused to give her that much.

Bindia had refilled all the water bottles, checked each piece of equipment and straightened up the locker room when she heard the low hum of the television. She knew that the other girls were already upstairs along with Krishnaji, all getting ready to play tomorrow. Khan stayed late after practice and matches alike, working out plays and watching video of other teams. He slept little, although he was going to be up early, working out with the team.

There was no such reason for Bindia to go to bed early, she had been benched again, for refusing to go along like a good little girl. She might not be allowed to play, but Bindia would show Khan that she was not subservient to any man. The television grew louder as she followed it to the briefing room and found Khan there, sitting in front of the white board, while the television softly replayed old matches. The board was covered in a rainbow of lines criss crossing and veering off from one another.

Bindia stood for a moment and stared, not only trying to figure out what plays he was rewriting, but wondering why he was so disheveled. Usually he wore sweats and a t shirt, casual, but well kept, but now he was wearing just sweats and a damp tank top. His hair was wet and when he glanced over his shoulder at her, Bindia thought it looked like he'd raked it out of his face with his fingers.

Khan turned away, and continued marking out plays. "Is everything ready?"

"The team will have water, and the rest of it, but they will lose," Bindia said.

"Don't you have faith in their abilities?"

"I have faith in my own," Bindia said.

"Not in anyone else?" Khan asked.

"They're young."

"That's the best time to learn from their mistakes. If you wait too long, it becomes much harder."

"Does that mean it's too late for you to learn?" Bindia asked and got a sharp look.

"I discover new things often," Khan said. "You can't let go of an argument even when it's settled."

"You may have ended it, but I still think you're wrong."

"You can do that all you like, but I am the coach, and I've made a decision."

"So you can't be wrong?" Bindia asked.

"I know my mistakes," Khan said. "The fact that you can't recognize your own makes my point."

"Does Vidya also have this talent? Or is she too sweet to know how to do wrong?"

Khan smiled. "We've already talked about Vidya."

"I tried to, you cut me off, like you always do," Bindia said.

"When you've learned to express yourself in some other way, I will be ready to listen."

Bindia smiled. It was the same thing, Khan wanted her to leave him alone so he could get on with his mission and spend his time concentrating on those players who were the best fit. If she couldn't get what she wanted through her usual methods, she would try others.

Dropping her jacket on the floor, Bindia came forward, letting her hair down as well. "Do you think rewriting the play book will change the outcome of a match?"

"It's possible."

"Or this could all be for nothing."

"Say that of too many things and you will accomplish very little," Khan said and spared a glance at Bindia. He looked quizzical. "Are you too warm?"

"No." Bindia stepped around Khan's chair and stood in front of the television, blocking his view.

"Will you move out of the way?"

"Why should I? I moved when you told me to, and I ended up on the sidelines."

"Your actions put you there," Khan said and returned to his scribbling.

Bindia sneered. "Like yours put you here, coaching the women's team."

"Be careful not to talk about what you don't understand."

She shifted even closer and glared down at Khan, willing him to do something besides act like he couldn't hear her. When she had said that he was a traitor after that grueling day of training, he had almost struck her, she knew that he pretended to be colder than he really was, and that words affected him. She just had to find the right spot and hit hard enough.

"What don't I know? You failed at being a player, so you want to be a coach and prove to the world that they were wrong and should beg you to come back."

"You should get some rest."

"Why? I'm not playing tomorrow."

"Then do what you want, but do it away from me," Khan said shortly. "You've been working hard to split the team apart, I have to be sure it can be put back together."

"Why bother? You won't be around long enough to see it."

"Dangerous talk," Khan said.

Bindia lifted her chin and put herself in front of him. "It's my way. Remember, you're nothing to anyone. I've been on this team for three seasons, you're just the new coach."

"And you think you will throw me out?" Khan smiled. "Come up with a new strategy, Bindia, it didn't stick last time."

"If the team loses, the Association won't stand for your arrogance."

"Look after yourself, Bindia, you are more likely to be cut."

Undaunted, she spat off to the side. "The day I let a traitor, a haram zada tell me what to do is the day I'm not an Indian."

Khan dropped the marker on the desk and got slowly to his feet. "I warned you not to bring up what you know nothing about."

Bindia said and leaned into Khan, feeling him holding very still, and said in a taunting whisper, "Has the silver the Pakistanis paid you made up for betraying your country?"

With a hiss, Khan grabbed Bindia by the shoulders and shook her roughly. "Be quiet and go on your way."

"Or what?" Bindia asked, not twisting to get away, but daring him to hold on. She had gotten this far, and when it seemed like he might back off, Bindia reached down and put a hand on his groin, nails digging in threateningly. Unable to move away without risking a very painful injury, Khan didn't was still, eyes on her face, warning her off.

"What will you do, Kabir Khan, Center Forward of the Indian National Hockey Team?"

"That's not who I am anymore."

"Then who are you?" Bindia asked.

Khan lowered his eyes and stared at Bindia's hand where it rested on his body.

She took the opportunity to step up on tiptoe and smile against his mouth before she bit his lower lip.

Not blinking, Khan grinned. "So that's what you want."

Bindia had thought he would pull away or back down, and when he saw her confusion, Khan laughed. She snarled and punched him in the stomach.

He doubled over, and then surged up again, grabbing her around the waist and lifted her onto the table. "This too?"

"You think you understand?" Bindia asked, and showed her teeth. When Khan didn't move, she lost her patience and slapped him across the face.

His hand tangled in her hair and he tugged her head back. "Better than you know," Khan said and kissed her.

As she returned the kiss, it wasn't soft or kind, and Bindia knew he would leave bruises, just like she would leave her own from where her knees pressed into his hips and her nails gouged his shoulders. If their clothes hadn't covered the marks, there would be no denying what happened, and Bindia made sure both of them would have to be careful about hiding them.

The table was cold and hard against her back, but it was flat, and Bindia laid down, yanking Khan over her, wrestling with their pants, breathing hard, but in that moment, on the same page.

Khan didn't let her ride this out and pulled her upright so she sat on the edge of the table, legs wrapped around his waist, clothes shoved out of the way.

Bindia wasn't thinking about being safe, if she had been, she would have gone upstairs, so when Khan pushed inside her and paused, she groaned and swore at him.

"I'm not your pure little Vidya, don't treat me like her."

"I never will," Khan said and Bindia wondered later why it sounded like a promise.

Afterward, Khan stood back so she could slide off the table, and he didn't speak as she tugged her pants back up. She refused to look down, but couldn't smile. This had been about proving something, and it hadn't gone the way she anticipated. As she went up to the room she shared with Aliya and Gunjan, Bindia winced, she was going to be sore in the morning and nothing would have changed.

She tiptoed through the foyer into the bathroom. The water went easily from warm to scalding, and Bindia only turned it down so her skin wouldn't be burned and then stepped into the tub. Every place where Khan's hands had landed were tender, and Bindia prodded them, feeling bruises beginning to come to the surface, and she cupped her breasts, fingering the teethmarks that he had left. One hand drifted down between her legs, and touched herself, even when it hurt. It didn't take long for her to orgasm, she was still on edge, and she leaned back on the wall of the shower, shaking and staring upwards, smiling.

The matches against England, Spain and South Africa were played without her, and Bindia realized that she hadn't been certain that Khan would keep his word and not let her take the field. Even sex didn't change his mind, and for a man that might not have slept with a woman for seven years, Khan didn't act like he'd missed it. If she hadn't been there, and couldn't look at her bruises in a mirror, Bindia would have said that nothing out of the ordinary had happened the night they lost to Australia.

Khan continued reviewing strategy with the team, drilling them late into the night while Bindia stood on the sidelines, hitting a ball against the wall or seeing to other small duties that Krishnaji let her take on. Nobody asked why Bindia wasn't on the roster, they had been there, they didn't ask anymore why Bindia had difficulty with Khan, it was just a fact.

At times, Bindia almost didn't mind that she couldn't tell them differently, but when the first half of the match with Argentina ended with Soimoi and several of the other girls bleeding and limping off the field, Bindia wanted to be playing beside them. She didn't apologize sincerely, not in any way that most people would accept, but she did know how to look after her teammates, and she showed it, getting antibiotic ointment and ice, brushing off their surprised looks and making them understand that nobody was allowed to do this to them.

Khan was surprisingly in the same mindset, and Bindia sat back with the other girls when he began outlining the plan of action for the second half. He never let Balbir play as roughly as she liked, but now he unleashed her on their opponents, and wouldn't even hear objections from Krishnaji.

Bindia sat on the sidelines, arms crossed, grinning when Balbir ran into the opposing team's forwards and continued bowling over defenders without a single foul being called by the referee. She glanced at Khan and found that she agreed with his call, he'd seen the direction the game was going and made an unconventional decision that worked in their favor.

The next match was the semi final against South Korea, and the preceding night, Bindia saw that Khan was at work with his team captain, figuring out how best to handle this next match. She didn't bother trying to call either one of them on their late night, she had her own work to do and filling water bottles took a lot of concentration.

She didn't hear anyone behind her until Khan spoke, and she kept her eyes on what she was doing until he offered her hockey stick to her. That was a shock, and she held it loosely, trying to guess at his reasons for wanting her to come back. If it was because they'd had sex, she would think less of him, and so she couldn't let it be.

Khan sat down on a bench, putting himself lower than her and gave her an answer that she could accept, but that was absolutely impersonal. If he had any feelings about what had happened, Bindia couldn't see any sign of it. It should have mattered enough to bother him at least, and not being able to use that put her off balance.

She still took the field, the opportunity was there, and she wanted to prove that she knew how to use it. When she and Gunjan used one of their old routines to confuse the Koreans and she scored the goal, Bindia's eyes went to the sidelines and Khan. He smiled and pumped his fist at her and she smiled back. At the end of the game, her team gathered around her again, and she felt like she belonged, but it hadn't been complete without the acknowledgment of her coach, and she could admit that to herself. When they lifted Khan off his feet in celebration, Bindia didn't feel like watching from a distance, and instead stood beside Aliya and laughed.

The final was longer than any other game and yet over way too fast. Standing on the dais, holding onto the championship trophy, Bindia didn't care that Rani was standing on her foot or that Nethra was pulling on her uniform, none of that mattered and she couldn't stop smiling. She glanced at Khan and saw one of his rare smiles. When Vidya had blocked that last penalty shot, none of them had eyes for anyone but her, and there had been a race to see who could grab her first. It was only when Bindia extricated herself enough to breathe that she had seen Khan on his own, leaning on the wall, looking like he was in shock, and those moments were the most emotional Bindia had seen him.

He could have shared in their victory walk at the airport, but while they were on the flight back home, he had sat by himself and only listened as they replayed each move in their winning game. Vidya went to talk to him several times, but when she returned to her seat with a bemused expression, Gunjun told her to let it go, and that maybe he was just happy to be going back to India at last.

Bindia waited until the others were all asleep and then walked to the back of the plane and sat down in the seat across the aisle from Khan.

His eyes were closed, but the corner of his mouth lifted as she took a seat.

"The rest of them want to know if you're all right."

Khan shook his head. "They still can't believe they won."

"That doesn't mean they haven't noticed you're sitting by yourself," Bindia said.

"I'm fine."

"Okay." Bindia stood up and was about to head back the way she came when Khan spoke again.

"Good job today, Bindia."

Bindia nodded and walked away, not letting him see that she had been glad to hear that from him.

When she put her feet up again, gently kicking the seat in front of her, Vidya turned around.

"He's fine," Bindia said, and Vidya nodded but wisely didn't comment on the fact that Bindia had checked on their coach.

Khan didn't go with them out the front entrance of the airport. They all knew that a crowd was waiting, and he had tried to prepare them for what they would find.

"Everyone will want to see you girls and take your picture."

"They've never wanted to before," Gul said, and Khan smiled.

"You weren't the World Champions then. Remember, you have earned this, and make of it what you will. I will see you all next season." Khan inclined his head to them, put on his sunglasses and turned around, swinging his bag over his shoulder as he headed off in the opposite direction.

"Where is he going?" Rani asked.

"I have no idea," Vidya said, and adjusted her jacket. "Are we ready?"

The others nodded, and Vidya moved into position in front, pulling Bindia along with her. "Let's do this."

They walked through the glass doors and couldn't see with all the flash bulbs going off. Together, Bindia and Vidya raised trophy and it felt like the entire country was cheering for them. Some of the girls had their families waiting for them outside, but Bindia was taking a bus back to her hometown where her aunt, uncle and cousins were waiting.

Uncle Ajay wouldn't let anyone come out to meet her, he always said that there was no need to make a fuss about things that didn't help the world, nobody could remember them for long anyway.

Aunt Meera wasn't one to argue unless pushed, and she agreed with him so she would be cleaning the house as if Bindia was company instead of family. They were all the same as when she left, even if her cousins were more impressed than ever at what she'd been doing. Her uncle had turned a blind eye to the television being on when India was playing and wasn't as vocal in his disapproval of hockey for the first time.

These improvements wouldn't last, but Bindia savored them while they did. Other things were just as frustrating as ever. As a young lady who should have been married years ago, according to her aunt and all the gossipy neighbors, Bindia knew a lot about how annoying boys could be.

There were the ones who were awed by what she'd done, her forty four goals, national records and that she was a member of a championship team. That sort stammered and ran off if Bindia stared hard at them. Compared to that crowd, the other were way more annoying. Thinking they were better than he was fine, she was happy to beat any challenger, but when they said that she should forget hockey now that she'd done all she could and be content to be someone's wife, Bindia got upset.

"I thought that you were over this," Aunt Meera said, fielding another complaint from a mother whose son had run home after he made one too many suggestions and got Bindia's emphatic refusal.

"Show me somebody who doesn't want to tell me what I should do with my life," Bindia said.

"I don't think there's anyone left."

"You'll try anyhow."

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

Her aunt did try, and Bindia spent most of her time out of the house. The off season had never been so boring, she told Aliya when she called.

"You sound frustrated,"Aliya said.

"I am."

"You need a boyfriend to take that out on."

"There's not a single guy around who's worth the hassle," Bindia said.

"Did you beat somebody up?"

"I didn't have to. Having a brain and an opinion on more than my clothes was enough to scare them off." Bindia sighed.

Aliya laughed. "You made them cry. You are so bad."

"I know."

"Give them a break, Bindia, I bet they're trying hard to impress you."

"It hasn't happened yet."

"Will it ever?"

"I don't know, most guys are either too nice or too busy talking about themselves to know what to do with a woman."

"Bindia, you are wound way too tight," Aliya said.

"I'll be glad when the season starts," Bindia said.

"Me too." They talked for a little longer, Aliya sharing news of the other girls, and then said goodbye.

Bindia avoided talk of engagements and ignored lectures on what constituted appropriate behavior for a lady during the next several months and so nobody came to the train station to see her off.

Aunt Meera was scrubbing the floors and Uncle Ajay had sniffed disdainfully when Bindia lugged her gym back down the stairs to the street. It didn't bother her so much, because she knew what she wanted and had never let anyone tell her otherwise. This time, Bindia wasn't heading into training with the confidence of knowing she would be looked up to as a senior player. Everyone had gone to the championships and they had won as a team. The only exceptions were new players, if any were trying out.

Aliya jumped off her bench and tackled Bindia, who struggled, but managed to stay on her feet until a smaller body collided with her from behind as well.

"Hi, Komal," Bindia said and raised an eyebrow at Gunjan, who snorted and put an arm out to brace her.

"It's good to see you," Komal said. "I missed you, didi."

"I can tell," Bindia said and twisted around to ruffle Komal's hair, making her yelp and jump away.

"Nice move," Gunjan said, and Bindia shrugged, dragging Aliya along with her.

"Aliya, I hate to tell you, but I don't think I have what you're looking for," Bindia said.

"You don't?"

"I have breasts, Aliya, last I checked, that wasn't something you wanted in a boyfriend."

Aliya slid off, and Bindia unzipped her bag and tossed a box of cookies at Aliya. She got a kiss on the cheek and then Aliya dug in.

Bindia led the way onto the tennis courts where everyone was gathering and nodded at the others.

Krishnaji and Sukhala were doing an informal headcount and gave the three girls smiles as they came in.

"Everyone ready?" Krishnaji asked, and the team, and a couple of new girls, nodded.

"For what?" one of the hopefuls asked, and Rani shook her head.

Gul smiled. "Wait and see."

Everyone turned when the door creaked, and Khan appeared. He was dressed in sweat pants and a t-shirt and looked relaxed, nothing like the unyielding taskmaster he was.

Komal and Balbir grinned, but stood straighter when Khan's eyes passed over them.

"Most of you should remember who I am, for those of you who don't know me, I'm Kabir Khan and the coach of the Indian National Women's Team. Everyone line up and step forward to introduce yourselves."

Shila, one of the prospective players was second in line and fumbled the introduction and Khan stopped in front of her.

"Are you playing for the Orissa state team?"

"No," Shila said.

"Then try again."

The second time she got it right and Khan moved on.

He let them get their equipment put away and then early the next morning they met on the playing field.

"Remember this?" Bindia asked and Gunjan let out a sigh.

"Can we run if we can't even see the ground?"

"My eyes aren't open yet," Aliya said.

Khan looked at them and they stopped talking, and Gunjan smiled apologetically.

"There are those of you who may think that since you did well last season, you should get a break." Khan surveyed the girls. "I have never believed that success makes life easier. You will have to work twice as hard to prove that you truly earned your victory." There was a moment for them to absorb his meaning, then he zipped up his jacket. "Ten kilometers, come on."

Preeti and Komal took the lead behind him and everyone else fell in after them.

It was long past dawn when they had moved onto the next phase of their training regime, and everyone waited to see if their positions would be the same. There weren't the same fights as last year, but a minor scuffle broke out when Molly and Rani argued with Shila, who didn't like the play they were running.

"What's the problem?" Khan asked as he came over to separate the girls.

"She thinks we shouldn't pass the ball," Molly said.

"That's not what I said. What's the point of this pattern?" Shila asked.

"I will explain this again, you are trying to move the ball down the field and that cannot be done entirely on your own. If you want to play one on one, try tennis, here we play as a team."

"Yes, sir," Shila said.

All through practice, Bindia kept an eye on Khan, trying to determine what he was thinking. She had thought that he would say something, or as the day went on, even look at her as though they had a history unlike anybody else there. Instead it was as if they were exactly the same, and Bindia found herself snapping at some of the pointless questions Shila asked her. At one point, Aliya had to cover her mouth when Bindia let loose, and dragged her away before Khan came over.

"You're going to get benched," Aliya said and Bindia shrugged.

"She's a nationally ranked player, she should know better than to be so dumb."

"I don't think she meant to offend you. But you know that Coach isn't going to take it easy on any of us, why are you trying to make him mad?"

"I'm not," Bindia said.

"Oh, really?"

"What would I get out of it?"

"Isn't annoying him your mission in life?" Aliya asked.

That had been the case last season, but it wasn't what Bindia was finding gave her satisfaction anymore. Facing off with Khan was a sort of rush and it was much more satisfying than even the best kisses Bindia had gotten from the guys back home.

"Not so much," Bindia said.

"Then back down, I'm just saying, you know what Coach is like when he loses patience."

Bindia remembered and thought fondly of the bruises he'd given her and that he hadn't tried to be sweet and hadn't bored her.

"Yeah, do I ever."

"So don't make this like last year," Gunjan said, coming up to them.

"I'm not," Bindia said and rolled her eyes at the doubtful looks they gave her. "I'm here to play, all right?"

"Good."

"I don't promise to take it easy on idiots, though," Bindia said.

Gunjan smiled. "If you did, I'd know you were sick."

"If you need somebody to smack around," Preeti said, "I can offer Abhi. I know he needs it."

Bindia raised an eyebrow and Preeti grinned. "I didn't want to bother with him again, so I didn't, but I could arrange it if you think he needs a lesson."

"He's not worth it," Bindia said.

"Not at all," Preeti said.

"I hear he's been having a good season," Aliya said.

"So what?" Preeti said. "We'll have a better one." She walked off, and the other three watched her go thoughtfully.

"She still has a chip on her shoulder," Gunjan said. "Not like anyone else we know."

"Enough," Bindia said. "I think you're defending the goal this time." She twirled her hockey stick meaningfully and Aliya darted out of the way. "Get going."

Gunjan bowed solemnly and Bindia made a mock charge at her and caught Khan watching them. She tilted her head to the side and stared back, but he only nodded and blew his whistle to begin the next drill.

"Seriously, I know what's going on. You can't stand any man who doesn't treat you as well as the coach does," Gunjan said.

"Are you crazy?" Bindia asked.

"Hear me out. He doesn't let you have your own way all the time, makes you work hard, and is respectful."

"Uh huh." Bindia picked at her food. "So you're saying that no man is going to measure up?"

"Yeah," Gunjan said.

"Then, what am I supposed to do? I'm not going to settle for anything less than I deserve."

"And more power to the man that can stand you," Gunjan said. "It may be a long wait."

Bindia agreed, but kept that to herself. "I don't care, I know what suits me."

Gunjan was laughing when Preeti walked past their table, followed by Komal, who was jogging to keep up.

"Memsahib, it was only a joke."

"Don't call me that," Preeti said.

"What's with them?" Gunjan asked.

Bindia was smashing her rice with her fork and barely glanced up. "Sounds like a fight." She had seen Komal trailing after Preeti before and thought the two of them were avoiding something by squabbling, but she'd wait and see.

Bed assignments were another thing that were the same. No girl from the same state bunked next to each other, and that meant Bindia didn't have a chance to continue her conversation with Gunjan later. Some of the others talked in low voices, and the room felt more crowded than she was used to. It would clear out a little when the official roster was chosen, but until then, Bindia felt like she was stifling. She lay awake until the sound of Molly twitching in her sleep drove her out of bed, and she wandered downstairs.

Sukhala had put the ingredients for breakfast on the kitchen counter and Bindia looked them over and moved on with a bowl of sliced fruit. She hadn't gone out of her way to find Khan, but came across him in the commons area, stretched out on the couch, papers scattered across the table, pen uncapped on top of them.

Khan breathed softly, one arm tucked under his head, the other resting on his chest. He wasn't wearing any shoes, and Bindia stared at his socks for a couple minutes and then watched him sleep, letting the rhythm of his breathing settle her until she was tired and then headed back to bed.

Only one of the new girls made the team, and she began trying to impress Khan, which set off a spate of poor sportsmanship.

Vidya began looking askance at the team during breaks, while Preeti and Komal started only passing to one another.

Khan shook his head when Komal scored her fourth goal off Shila and they began to come at each other angrily, he sounded his whistle and ended practice.

"Tomorrow, we're going to try something different," he said, and Balbir gulped.

"What's that mean?" Shila asked.

"I don't know," Balbir said.

"Then why are you worried?"

Bindia strolled by. "Because the coach doesn't make threats."

When Shila's expression was still blank, Bindia smiled nastily.

"Tomorrow is going to be intense."

Aliya had brought a new magazine and went out on the desk with Soimoi, Rani, and Mary. The rest of them tried to decide who had found the best counter play to a move Khan had them practicing all afternoon.

Bindia knew that Khan was going to deliberately mess with the status quo the next day, so she didn't join in and went to sleep instead.

In the morning, Khan was waiting on the field, after they changed from their running clothes. He let his gaze rest on each girl until they squirmed and then he spoke. "Yesterday was not what I expect from World Champion players, or anyone who wants to be on this team." As that sank in, Khan put his hands on his hips. "I want two pairs to show everyone how that play should be executed. Preeti and Komal take offensive positions, Shila and Gul on defense."

The four girls came forward sheepishly, and Bindia caught an unhappy look on Shila's face.

Khan brought his whistle to his mouth and nodded. "Go."

Komal evaded Shila and passed the ball to Preeti, who knocked it back and they easily brought it swiftly down the field and scored a goal.

"Very good, now Gul and Shila, do the same thing."

Molly leaned in to whisper to Bindia. "She's mad."

"The new girl?"

"Yeah."

"Why? She made the team," Bindia said.

"She doesn't like Coachji."

"Why not?"

"She said he has issues."

"With what?"

"I stopped listening," Molly said, and Bindia smiled. When Shila came back to the sidelines, they stopped her.

"What's your problem with the coach?" Bindia asked.

"I think he needs a girlfriend," Shila said and smacked her stick against the fence.

Bindia choked on her water and Gunjan pounded her on the back.

"Excuse me?" Bindia said, her eyes watering.

"If he had somebody at home he would take it easier on us."

"We don't want him to ease up," Gunjan said. "But, you're right about the other thing, I don't think he's dating anyone. Do you know, Bindia?"

"No."

"There would have been something in the news," Aliya said and laughed, but Bindia sat back suddenly as it hit her.

Kabir Khan had been the captain of the Indian Men's National team and a celebrity, just like Preeti's ex boyfriend Abhi, and everything he did was followed by the public, including his downfall. If he had been in any relationship, the press would have kept the country informed. She'd been following field hockey since she was very little, and so Bindia remembered when Khan was ousted from the game, and before that how popular he'd been.

"He was never married, was he?" Bindia asked Aliya.

"He dated an actress I think, but I can't remember her name."

"Nobody else?" Shila asked.

"He left the team, remember? Nobody even heard anything about him for seven years," Aliya said.

"And there haven't been any rumors since he came back?" Bindia asked.

"So far as I know, and I like to think I know these things."

"You do," Bindia said and Aliya grinned hugely.

"Do any of you play hockey?" Khan asked, and everyone jumped to their feet tried to look serious as they trooped onto the field, but Bindia looked more at Khan after that. The man kept a lid on his feelings all the time, and only seemed to let them loose when he thought there was a very good reason. She had been able to provoke him before, and even though it had been a great deal of work, there had been a reward that she wanted again. It wouldn't be an easy undertaking, but she was up for the struggle.

In the next few days, the team fell into place, and began playing together the way they could. The only disturbance came when there were two men in the stands watching them. Khan went to speak with them, and afterward he just said that they were from the Association and were interested in seeing how the team was doing.

Bindia was waiting for Khan to pass her in the hallway, and when she did, she grabbed hold of him and shoved him into an empty room.

"What are you doing?"

"Figure it out," Bindia said and kissed him.

He didn't kiss her back, which wasn't a shock, but she made a face anyway. "It hasn't been that long, Khan, don't you remember what to do with a woman?"

She took one of his hands and brought it down to her belly, not forcing it lower, but making that an option. All the while, she kept kissing him, trying to show him what he was missing by not joining in. Rubbing up against him, Bindia laughed when he realized he was trapped behind the door.

"Are you scared of me?"

"No."

"Then why don't you do something?"

Khan grabbed Bindia and lifted her out of the way. "Enough, whatever you're trying to do, this isn't the way."

"You would rather I be the one against the wall? You liked it when you threw me on that desk," Bindia said.

"Does that still bother you?" Khan asked.

Bindia smiled. "In a way. I've been thinking about it a lot."

"Forget it and move on. Some things happen and to dwell on them only makes it harder to do what you really want."

"What if that's what I really want? To do that again? With you?"

"It's not going to happen." Kabir stepped around Bindia and left the room.

She had gotten a refusal, but Bindia had never let that stop her, and she had noticed that for a second, Khan had almost kissed her back, so she knew that he had been thinking about it. All she had to do was keep up the pressure until he broke in that way she'd liked so much the last time. After she ate dinner, Bindia headed into the men's hanging room and stopped at the threshold of the showers.

Khan was standing with his back to her, and from where she was standing, Bindia couldn't see more than from his waist upwards, and so came around the wall and, kicked off her shoes and stepped onto the wet tile. She watched him a little longer and then cleared her throat.

"What?" Khan turned slightly to give her a reproving look. ・Bindia, this is the men's shower," he said mildly, but went on washing his hair unhurriedly. "Did you need something?"

"Only what I needed earlier," Bindia said and came closer, toes curling in the warm water, watching the soap slide down Khan's back and legs.

"I can't give you that."

"You have," Bindia said. She put one hand on the wall a couple feet away from where Khan was standing. "What's changed?"

"People do things they regret when they're angry," Khan said.

"You're saying that you're sorry we had sex?" Bindia asked.

"No," Khan said. "I can't speak for you."

"Would I be here if I didn't want to do it again?"

Khan turned into the spray of water and rinsed off. He wiped his hands over his face, then reached out and grabbed a towel and began drying off. He wrapped it around his waist and came out of the shower, slicking his hair back out of his eyes. As he came closer, he motioned for Bindia to move aside, which she did, inhaling as he passed.

"You're used to getting what you want, I just happen to be in your way."

"Is that what you think this is? That I'm playing a game?" Bindia asked. She had thought that she had been clear about how serious she was, but Khan still didn't believe her.

"It's something you're good at," Khan said.

Defiant, Bindia refused to turn her head as Khan slid his pants on underneath his towel and then finished drying his arms and chest. She grabbed his shirt off the bench and held it so he would look her in the eye.

"Not the only thing." Bindia let go of his shirt and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Show me that, then," Khan said.

"I'm not going to let this go."

Khan didn't speak, and Bindia smiled at him."Just giving you a heads up," she said, and left with a grin on her face, knowing Khan was watching her and that meant she was well on her way to showing him she was right.


End file.
